Warriors: The Future Past - Black Sunset
by mastersuperfan
Summary: In Sunset, it was prophesied in the stars that Brambleclaw would prove his loyalty to ThunderClan and save the Clans from a power-hungry, murderous cat by killing his brother Hawkfrost. But in another parallel universe, fate is changed by an unexpected force during the badger attack, devastating every cat around him and forcing a new path upon history in every way. (AU Fanfiction)
1. Prologue

_The rays of the setting sun_ shone over the grass, coloring it a bright orange. No wind stirred the trees or the plants, settling an ominous and eerie feel onto the shore of the lake, despite the sun's light still shining. The light reflected off the water of the lake and into the eyes of a blue-gray cat, staring down into the reflection. Her ears were pricked, intently listening for noise, but it was completely silent aside from her quiet breathing.

A rustling sounded from the bushes behind her, and a tortoiseshell popped her head out, her amber eyes shadowed with worry and her breathing anxious. Upon spotting the other cat by the lake, she walked out of the undergrowth but came no closer to the blue-gray cat.

"What is it, Spottedleaf?" the blue-gray cat murmured without turning around to look at her. "Have you come to warn me?"

Spottedleaf padded over next to her and looked down into the water as well. "Have you seen them, Bluestar?"

"The signs in the stars? Yes, I have." Bluestar let out a sigh and curled her tail around her paws. "I had thought that the Clans would be able to stay safe in their new homes..."

Spottedleaf ran her tail over Bluestar's flank. "They've proven themselves capable of the trouble they've been facing. They will win the fight with the badgers. That's for certain."

Bluestar's tail-tip twitched irritably. "That's not what I meant, and you know it."

"Well, nothing's for certain, Bluestar," the pretty tortoiseshell replied. "There is still hope."

Bluestar turned her head, meeting the tortoiseshell's gaze. "How can there be hope, Spottedleaf, if StarClan are wrong? The Clans have faith in us." Her eyes lowered. "But we will fail them."

Spottedleaf said nothing but simply followed Bluestar's gaze back into the lake.

"How can we watch everything we've lived for and fought for dissolve into mist?" Bluestar's voice shook. "StarClan's prophecies have guided all of us along the way, keeping peace and stopping evil... But now, is every other prophecy doomed to crumble?" She let out another sigh. "I can see no hope in this bleak future."

"It was never destined to turn out this way," murmured Spottedleaf. "It was never written in the stars..."

Suddenly Bluestar turned on her, her fur bristling. "That doesn't help us now, though, does it?" she spat furiously. "The stars have failed the Clans! _We_ have failed the Clans! Soon there will be destruction, and there is nothing we can do to stop it!"

Spottedleaf dabbed a paw into the water. "The stars are not always right."

"Then what purpose do we live for?" Bluestar hissed. "All true warriors are guided by the light, by the stars and the moon. If we cannot follow the light to our destinies, then what are we to do?" She turned away and gazed at the orange sun dipping below the horizon, shining light along the ground past the lake.

"We can only trust the light with our own instincts... and pray that we follow the right path. Deep down, you know that the Clans cannot rely on the stars for everything. They must use their own judgement and follow their own hearts to see where their destinies truly lie." As Spottedleaf spoke, she circled her paw in the water, swirling it around. Slowly, the image of a light-brown tabby's face faded into surface of the water. "Even if it means making a sacrifice."

Bluestar looked over her shoulder into the water. "Perhaps it is what you told her that caused the destruction of this future, Spottedleaf."

"What I did was already prophesied long ago, Bluestar." Spottedleaf's paws scuffed the ground in frustration, but her tone remained gentle. "It is destiny that one young cat must leave ThunderClan and give up the future that may have once stretched out in front of them."

"One young cat!" Bluestar exclaimed. "So you admit that StarClan were wrong after all?"

The tortoiseshell twitched one ear. "Did I not say that StarClan are not always right?"

"Without the guidance of the light and their code, the Clans are nothing more than rogues." Bluestar lashed her tail. She turned back towards the shimmering sunset. "But if the light gives way..." Her voice trailed off.

For moments the two cats stood there, not moving, not speaking, hardly daring to breathe. Suddenly, the red sun was swallowed by a wave of utter blackness, and the red hue that had shaded the trees and the ground the same bright color was replaced by a thick darkness. The sky was a dark yellow color and provided barely any light, only enough for the two cats to see each other's silhouettes. Bluestar gasped in horror.

"Then the Clans will never be able to overcome the difficult challenges ahead," Spottedleaf finished, closing her eyes. Slowly she padded away into the darkness of the forest, leaving the blue-gray she-cat looking into the water all alone.

For what seemed like forever, the former ThunderClan leader watched the black sun slowly set until it was no longer visible. The sky grew from a dark yellow to a cold black, with the smallest sliver of a crescent moon shining on Bluestar's pelt. Her blue eyes glowed in the darkness, and she lowered her head with a sigh.

"I chose you well, didn't I?" Bluestar murmured, her gaze fixed on the ripples of the water. "Firestar taught you so much. I saw so much potential in you..." Her eyes grew clouded with sadness and regret. "No matter what doubts he and I may have had, you were a loyal warrior through and through. I only wish I could've been a better leader for you when I was still alive. And I am sorry for the mistakes we have made. This was not meant to happen, I promise. You would've made a fine leader for ThunderClan. You had a great destiny in front of you..."

As she stirred the clear water with her front paw, reflecting the blackness of the forest, the image of a dark tabby with amber eyes began to appear in the dim light. The ripples around her paw began to grow in size until they grew until full waves, shattering the image of the tabby's face. The waves turned a crimson red color, and Bluestar backed away slowly. She bowed her head. "ThunderClan, forgive me..." Her voice was soft, barely breaking the silence of the pitch-black forest. "This was not written in the stars..."

Above her, the stars glittered coldly.

...

Brambleclaw was peering out from behind the screen of brambles. "I'm going to help Firestar defend the entrance," he mewed.

Squirrelflight drew her breath in painfully. "Is Firestar still alive?"

"I spotted him a few moments ago," Brambleclaw reassured her. "The battle isn't over yet. I'll see you later." He sped off with a twitch of his tail.

Squirrelflight's heart lurched suddenly as she saw him vanish into the thickest of the fighting. Would they really see each other again? Or was it too late to put right everything that had gone wrong between them?

Unable to bear the thought of losing Brambleclaw now, Squirrelflight ran after him.


	2. Destiny

_"At least there's one cat I can trust with my life!"_

 _"Only one, Squirrelflight?"_

 _Squirrelflight thought for a moment that_ she heard a wail nearby, but when she looked around, she could hardly see anything in the shadows. Trying to put it out of her mind, Squirrelflight dashed in the direction of the entrance to help Brambleclaw, narrowly avoiding the blunt claws of the badgers swiping nearby. Her original plan was to help her Clanmates protect the nursery and the escape route, but she couldn't let Brambleclaw run headfirst into a swarm of badgers. Emotion swamped her like a wave at the thought of Brambleclaw being torn apart by those giant claws, and she thrust the image from her mind. _He won't die_ , she thought determinedly. _I won't let him!_

Sidestepping another attack and clawing the badger back, she spotted Firestar, Brambleclaw, and Thornclaw just ahead of her, trying to force back a pair of badgers through the hollow entrance. Brambleclaw's pelt was matted with blood, which was pouring out of a gash on his shoulder. Thornclaw had several scratches on his flank. _Great StarClan, they can't deal with two badgers themselves!_ Without hesitation, she leaped onto the smaller one, clawing and biting through the thick fur before jumping off. She barely dodged the powerful swipe of the badger's claws, feeling it skim her fur.

"Squirrelflight, get down!" Brambleclaw yowled.

A third badger advanced on them, and the group of four slashed at the badgers while backing away from the entrance. _We can't win! There are too many of them!_

Spiderleg and Rainwhisker were talking on another young badger next to them. Rainwhisker leaped onto the badger while Spiderleg clawed it from behind, but the badger spun around with a quick lash of its paw, sending Rainwhisker flying and hitting Spiderleg straight in the head, knocking him to the ground.

"No!" Squirrelflight cried as she saw another badger raise its paw above the black tom lying on the ground. Without thinking, she leaped again to claw the badger's eyes. The badger's swing missed Spiderleg, but it sent Squirrelflight flying to the ground, knocking the air out of her. Pain ripped through her right side as she struggled to get up again, but she couldn't. _Someone, help me!_

Teeth sank into her scruff and pulled her back right before another badger snapped its jaws. She turned her head to look, and her eyes locked onto Brambleclaw's amber gaze for a heartbeat. "Thanks!" Squirrelflight gasped, panting for breath.

"What did I tell you?" Brambleclaw hissed from her other side. "Are you trying to get yourself killed?"

"Stop treating me like a kit!" Squirrelflight flashed back, clawing another badger across the nose.

"It's too dangerous!" Brambleclaw wheezed, fighting for breath. "I can't lose you here!" He jumped in front of Squirrelflight and pushed her back, away from the horde of badgers.

 _I should be the one saying that!_ Squirrelflight ran back up to his side. "I'm not leaving you!"

Brambleclaw didn't reply but instead ducked to avoid a blow and clawed the badger in front down its ear, and Squirrelflight followed up by slashing at the badger's other side, causing it to shake its head back and forth, unsure of which warrior to attack. It tried to slash Brambleclaw, but he stepped back barely in time, leaving a window of opportunity for the ginger warrior to rake her claws multiple times over the badger's shoulder, causing it to flee through the hollow entrance.

Suddenly a movement flashed in the corner of Squirrelflight's eye. "Watch out!" she screeched, but the badger landed a blow straight on Brambleclaw's flank, who had not seen the striped figure in the shadows, knocking him back a few fox-lengths. She gasped and ran over, praying no badger would take notice of her in the darkness. "Brambleclaw! Brambleclaw! Are you alright?"

He rose to his paws. "I'm fine," he replied, but his legs were shaking.

"Get back!" Squirrelflight shrieked. "You can't keep fighting! Let me handle it!" As Firestar slashed the eyes of a giant badger next to her, Squirrelflight ran to the side and scored her claws on the badger's flank, causing it to growl in pain and turn around. For a second she was face-to-face with the badger's striped face, those beady eyes peering into her gaze, but it didn't last for long as Brightheart clawed its flank again and Cloudtail sank his claws into the back of its neck, causing it to let out a giant roar of agony. It tried to swat Cloudtail off but couldn't, causing it to run away out of the hollow as Cloudtail unfastened his teeth.

Squirrelflight looked around. Brambleclaw was still fighting, but his strength was visibly faltering, and a badger caught him with a swipe on the nose. "Brambleclaw, get back! You can't go on like this!" Her voice was panicked as she ran over to help him.

Squirrelflight heard rapid pawsteps behind her, and turned around to see Ashfur. "The nursery!" he gasped. "We need help!"

Squirrelflight swallowed. "Alright, I'm coming." Turning around, she added to Brambleclaw, "You have to get away; you can't keep up fighting like this!" She pressed her muzzle against his cheek, breathing in his scent through the thick stench of blood that covered his entire pelt. "Please," she whispered.

The tabby's gaze pierced hers for a moment; then he nodded and limped towards the secret exit of the hollow.

Squirrelflight turned back around, trying to make out the nursery with the faint light of the crescent moon. As she spotted it, she saw Ashfur staring at Brambleclaw with narrowed eyes as he padded away, but she had no time to think about that. "Come on, let's go!"

Brackenfur was still guarding the entrance to the nursery, fighting two young badgers fiercely to protect Sorreltail and their kits inside. Squirrelflight leaped onto the back of one of them, and Ashfur followed with a couple of swipes to its legs, causing it to howl in pain and retreat immediately.

The other badger, however, was not so easy to get rid of. For a moment, it hesitated, trying to decide if it was worth it to take on so many enemies. Then it growled and swiped its claws at Squirrelflight, who rolled to the side, agony burning in her wound.

Brackenfur was also fighting the badger, dashing around and landing quick swipes at the badger, who couldn't get in a blow on the golden-brown warrior. But Squirrelflight could tell that he was running out of energy; any longer and he would collapse from exhaustion.

Ignoring the fire blazing in her side, she crouched down, ready to leap at the badger, but Ashfur butted her shoulder, knocking her off balance, and jumped. As she pushed herself off the ground, Ashfur ran back towards her. "Are you all right? You can't fight with such a big wound as that."

"I can fight my own battles, thanks," Squirrelflight hissed.

The gray tom's eyes widened, but he said nothing. Instead, he simply turned away and ran towards a bigger, older badger and sprang onto it. Squirrelflight quickly readied her pounce against and leaped onto the back of the badger in front of the nursery. Brackenfur leaped a split second after she did and sank his teeth firmly into its ear. The badger shook wildly, flailing its paws and trying to get Squirrelflight off. Nimbly she let go just as the badger's claws pricked the air behind its back and raked her claws across its back legs.

Squirrelflight looked around. Their numbers seemed to be decreasing, yet there were still so many left! There was no way they could deal with them all! Firestar, Thornclaw, and Rainwhisker were still fighting at the entrance to the hollow. Duspelt and Spiderleg were taking on another badger, alternating their attacks on it.

Brackenfur was still tussling with the young badger in front of the nursery, his teeth still fastened in its ear. The badger dislodged with a single swat of its paw and thrust its way into the nursery. _No!_

"Behind you!" Squirrelflight heard someone yowl, but she didn't react in time. A blow caught her on the shoulder from behind, knocking her legs out from under her. The pain in her shoulder was immense and dizzying, as she tried to push herself back up, but her wounds were too much. She struggled to look behind her and saw a badger readying its deadly claws for an attack. "Ashfur!" she screeched. "Help me!"

The gray warrior heard her call for help and unfastened his claws from the badger he was fighting, turning to run towards her. The badger raised its paws, and Squirrelflight squeezed her eyes shut with terror.

"StarClan, help me!"

Then the claws came down.


	3. Sorrow

p style="margin: 0px; font-family: Garamond;"em"I won't. Now I'll always be with you, I promise."/em/p  
p style="margin: 0px; font-family: Garamond; min-height: 13px;" /p  
p style="margin: 0px; font-family: Garamond;"em"Squirrelflight... Squirrelflight... Squirrelflight! Wake up, Squirrelflight!"/em/p  
p style="margin: 0px; font-family: Garamond;"Squirrelflight's eyes shot open. Her mind was foggy from exhaustion, and there was nothing she wanted to do more than lie down and rest, but she forced herself to blink several times. She was at the edge of the camp, near the secret exit. Some cat must have dragged her here after she had gone unconscious. As she looked to the right, she saw Leafpool in front of her, an anxious expression in her eyes./p  
p style="margin: 0px; font-family: Garamond;""Thank StarClan you've woken up!" Leafpool let out a sigh of relief./p  
p style="margin: 0px; font-family: Garamond;""Leafpool! You're back!" Ignoring the pain in her scratches, Squirrelflight scrambled up onto her paws, all the grogginess cleared from her mind. The ginger warrior leaned against her sister and drank in her scent, happy that she had returned back to ThunderClan. She pulled away for a moment to ask, "Are the badgers gone?"/p  
p style="margin: 0px; font-family: Garamond;""They've all been driven out," Leafpool reassured her. "Midnight came and got WindClan to help us. Stormfur and Brook are also here," she added, pointing her tail to the two cats next to her./p  
p style="margin: 0px; font-family: Garamond;"The ginger warrior's eyes widened. "What are you two doing here? I didn't expect you to come visit us so soon."/p  
p style="margin: 0px; font-family: Garamond;"Stormfur twitched his ears. "We just wanted to see if you were safe in your new homes." Stormfur looked towards the center of the camp for a brief second, where much of the Clan was gathered. A striped shadow loomed over the other shapes, but it seemed to pose no threat. emThat must be Midnight/em, Squirrelflight thought./p  
p style="margin: 0px; font-family: Garamond;"Stormfur went on, his voice lowering. "But it looks like it didn't quite work out..."/p  
p style="margin: 0px; font-family: Garamond;"Squirrelflight cocked her head to one side. "What do you mean? We've driven off the badgers-we're safe now!"/p  
p style="margin: 0px; font-family: Garamond;"Stormfur opened his mouth to say something, but Leafpool shot him a glance to silence him. Squirrelflight frowned. There was something they weren't telling her. "Who... Has any cat died?" she inquired, nervous of what she would hear in response./p  
p style="margin: 0px; font-family: Garamond;""Sootfur died," Leafpool responded. "And Cinderpelt."/p  
p style="margin: 0px; font-family: Garamond;"Squirrelflight's heart skipped a beat. "Cinderpelt's dead?" she echoed. With a jolt, she remembered the badger that had broken its way into the nursery. "Is Sorreltail all right?"/p  
p style="margin: 0px; font-family: Garamond;""Yes, she's fine, but Cinderpelt... it's my fault," the medicine cat whispered. "I should never have left. If I'd stayed, she would still be alive right now..."/p  
p style="margin: 0px; font-family: Garamond;"Squirrelflight pressed her muzzle to her sister's flank to comfort her. "Don't blame yourself," she murmured. "It was her choice to protect Sorreltail in the nursery. I'm sure she didn't wish to make any other choice." She heard the medicine cat sigh deeply. "So," Squirrelflight mewed, trying to change the subject. "You said WindClan helped us?"/p  
p style="margin: 0px; font-family: Garamond;"She nodded. "Without them, we wouldn't have been able to drive the badgers out." Her gaze rested on the entrance to the hollow, and Squirrelflight felt a prick of sadness in her stomach. emShe must be thinking about Crowfeather./em Silently she cursed herself for making her sister feel even sadder. emIt must be tough for her, being a medicine cat and falling in love with a cat from another Clan.../em But at least Squirrelflight... She looked around. Where was Brambleclaw?/p  
p style="margin: 0px; font-family: Garamond;"Leafpool's voice sounded dull and lifeless. "I know what you're thinking, Squirrelflight. There's... there's something I have to tell you."/p  
p style="margin: 0px; font-family: Garamond;"The ginger she-cat's ears pricked. "What is it-"/p  
p style="margin: 0px; font-family: Garamond;"She was interrupted as she heard Firestar speak from the Highledge. "We need to begin repairing the damage the badgers did to our camp, but we will sit vigil for our three fallen Clanmates."/p  
p style="margin: 0px; font-family: Garamond;"Squirrelflight blinked. emThree?/em A cold knot formed in the pit of her stomach. Who was the third cat that didn't survive the onslaught?/p  
p style="margin: 0px; font-family: Garamond;""I'm sorry," Leafpool murmured, but Squirrelflight didn't stay to hear the rest of what she had to say. Her paws took her straight to the center of the camp, where lay the bodies of Sootfur, Cinderpelt, and.../p  
p style="margin: 0px; font-family: Garamond;"Brambleclaw./p  
p style="margin: 0px; font-family: Garamond;"Squirrelflight stared down at the lifeless body of the tabby warrior she had came to trust so much. Deep claw marks were scored through his body, staining his pelt completely with blood. Her head suddenly swam with dizziness. Most of the Clan was gathered around the three dead warriors, but upon seeing Squirrelflight, they soundlessly split apart and a gap formed, leaving space wide enough for Squirrelflight to get through. Yet she didn't move, her paws stuck to the ground./p  
p style="margin: 0px; font-family: Garamond;"Leafpool came up behind her. "I-I'm sorry... I should've told you earlier..."/p  
p style="margin: 0px; font-family: Garamond;""I... I told him..." Squirrelflight murmured, half to herself. "I told him not to..." Her voice choked. She felt her sister's tail brush her flank, and she realized that Leafpool had suffered the same loss-and more./p  
p style="margin: 0px; font-family: Garamond;"Overcome with grief and emotion, Squirrelflight pushed her way into the center and buried her nose into Brambleclaw's fur, closing her eyes in despair. emI'm sorry, Brambleclaw... /emShe let out a wail when she remembered how they had argued so much, ignored each other. emI never meant any of that./em But in the end, she still trusted him... And during the battle, she knew he trusted her too. With a sickening, jolting pang she realized that she would never again sleep beside him or see the warm glow in his amber eyes again./p  
p style="margin: 0px; font-family: Garamond;"She was vaguely aware of Leafpool pressing against her left side and Stormfur on her right, but the feelings of their pelts and the cold night air felt like a dream. She tried to open her eyes, but her vision was too blurry to see straight. She fought the urge to lick the wounds of the dark tabby, knowing that even if she wanted to pretend that Brambleclaw was still alive and would be happy to see her again, there was no hiding from the sickly stench of death. emStarClan... Of all warriors, why did you have to take this one?/em/p  
p style="margin: 0px; font-family: Garamond;""Squirrelflight..." Leafpool began quietly. "You... Right now, you have to-"/p  
p style="margin: 0px; font-family: Garamond;""No!" she snapped, her voice hoarse./p  
p style="margin: 0px; font-family: Garamond;""Squirrelflight, you need to get your wounds looked at," the medicine cat murmured gently. "You won't be doing any cat a favor if you let yourself die from your wounds."/p  
p style="margin: 0px; font-family: Garamond;"Squirrelflight's green eyes flashed furiously. "Yeah, and neither did Brambleclaw!"/p  
p style="margin: 0px; font-family: Garamond;"Stormfur ran his tail over her back. "There's time to grieve later. You need to get treated."/p  
p style="margin: 0px; font-family: Garamond;"Squirrelflight felt as if all the energy had been sucked out of her. Wearily she climbed to her paws, head and tail drooping, and silently followed her sister to the medicine den./p  
p style="margin: 0px; font-family: Garamond;"Cinderpelt's scent still lingered in the air, and Squirrelflight heard a faint sigh escape Leafpool. Inside, Brightheart had finished applying a poultice of marigold to Thornclaw's scratches./p  
p style="margin: 0px; font-family: Garamond;""Brightheart, could I get some cobwebs and marigold?" Leafpool called out to her./p  
p style="margin: 0px; font-family: Garamond;"The white-and-ginger she-cat nodded and padded to the back of the den. Meanwhile Leafpool checked the Squirrelflight's pelt over carefully for a while. "Give the ones you can reach a few licks," she mewed. "Not too hard, though-you don't want to cause more bleeding."/p  
p style="margin: 0px; font-family: Garamond;"As Leafpool took the cobwebs and placed them over the scratches, Squirrelflight's mind began to wander. If only she'd warned him to back off earlier... He must have died from his wounds. What if he'd gotten caught by another badger while she wasn't looking? Her stomach turned to ice. emI should've protected him!/em/p  
p style="margin: 0px; font-family: Garamond;"Leafpool chewed up the marigold and began applying it onto Squirrelflight's pelt. "You shouldn't blame yourself. He died, for fighting his Clan. He was given a chance to show his true loyalty, and he took it."/p  
p style="margin: 0px; font-family: Garamond;"Squirrelflight caught a faint edge to her mew. Did Leafpool know something she didn't? Her stomach twisted. Was her sister talking about how she doubted Brambleclaw's loyalty because of Hawkfrost? emBrambleclaw, if you can hear me... I'm sorry for not trusting you./em/p  
p style="margin: 0px; font-family: Garamond;""She's right," Brackenfur mewed from behind, in the entrance to the den. "Cinderpelt gave up her life to protect Sorreltail and our kits without hesitation. They've proven that they were true warriors at heart, and they will find peace in StarClan, without a doubt. I'm sure of it."/p  
p style="margin: 0px; font-family: Garamond;"Leafpool nodded agreement, but Squirrelflight didn't respond. She had been fighting with the badger that had broken into the nursery, but she got distracted for a moment, and the badger had broken into the nursery. If she hadn't done that, Cinderpelt might still be alive./p  
p style="margin: 0px; font-family: Garamond;""Is there something you need, Brackenfur?" Leafpool asked, breaking Squirrelflight's thoughts./p  
p style="margin: 0px; font-family: Garamond;""Well, it's just..." His voice trailed away. "Sorreltail's still really upset. Mostly about Sootfur, really. Is there anything you can do to help her?"/p  
p style="margin: 0px; font-family: Garamond;""Well, I could give her some poppy seeds if she's having trouble sleeping, but..." Leafpool shook her head. "There is no herb that can heal heartbreak."/p  
p style="margin: 0px; font-family: Garamond;"Brackenfur sighed. "I see. Sorry to trouble you, Leafpool."/p  
p style="margin: 0px; font-family: Garamond;""It's no problem," she replied./p  
p style="margin: 0px; font-family: Garamond;"But the golden-brown tabby's words had disturbed Squirrelflight. When she heard that wail while following Brambleclaw to the entrance of the hollow... Was it Sootfur? With a sickening jolt she realized that even though she had gone after Brambleclaw, she had failed to protect him, but she also ignored Sootfur when he was in need. And there was Cinderpelt.../p  
p style="margin: 0px; font-family: Garamond;"She gazed through the brambles into the sky, where the stars shone brightly. emI failed to protect all of you... It's my fault. I hope you can forgive me.../em/p 


	4. Darkness

_"Darkness is coming."_

 _Leafpool opened her eyes, sticky with_ sleep, and blinked. Beside her was Cinderpelt's limp body, her pelt cold to the touch. Firestar was sitting next to her, his head hunched over, his eyes closed, and his body visibly trembling. Leafpool remembered that they had both been his apprentices. Her father had lost much to this battle. She wanted to say something to comfort her father, but she didn't want to disturb him as he seemed lost in his memories of the two cats that he had taught.

Breathing deeply, she tried to pick up her mentor's scent again, but the scent of death obscured it heavily. She had come to sit vigil with Cinderpelt after all the injured cats had been treated. But she had been too exhausted that she had fallen asleep. _I couldn't even stay awake for you_ , she thought despairingly. Even still, her mind raced with fogginess. She looked to her right. Squirrelflight was still awake, despite having fought and being wounded. _She's much more exhausted than I am_ , Leafpool thought. Leafpool envied her determination.

After Leafpool had treated her earlier, Squirrelflight had begged her to let her sit vigil for Brambleclaw. "You need to lie down and rest," she had kept telling her sister. "I don't want those scratches opening up again." Squirrelflight was completely adamant, though, and kept nagging Leafpool over and over until she finally allowed her to leave the medicine den, albeit very, very reluctantly. She'd seen her sister's extreme determination before, but this was a more quiet kind of persistence that she had never seen in her.

Leafpool stretched her legs and looked up. Thornclaw and Rainwhisker were sitting vigil for Sootfur. Stormfur was also sitting vigil for Brambleclaw. Her ears pricked when she saw Ashfur sitting next to Squirrelflight. Surely the gray warrior would have no reason to sit vigil for the tabby warrior? He leaned over and whispered something to Squirrelflight, who slowly closed her eyes and turned her head away.

An image of Crowfeather flashed in her mind, and Leafpool couldn't help picturing the warm glow in his blue eyes, and the purr and gentleness in his voice when he spoke with her.

 _"You walk in my dreams, Leafpool."_

She shook her head, trying to clear out the memories. She had made the decision to stay as ThunderClan's medicine cat. Crowfeather didn't mean anything to her anymore. _If only I'd realize that earlier, then Cinderpelt might still be alive..._

Ashfur stood up, and his gaze flicked upwards and met Leafpool's, his eyes expressionless. He then rose to his paws and walked back towards the warriors' den, his tail dragging across the ground.

Groggily, Leafpool stood up and stumbled away, confusion clouding her thoughts even further. She wouldn't normally be so exhausted after sunrise-perhaps it was her sister's feeling instead. Even so, she wanted to check on the injured cats again and then bring some more borage to Sorreltail. Slowly she padded through the silent clearing to her den.

When she entered, she could already sense Cinderpelt's scent starting to fade.

...

For the rest of the day, Leafpool worked hard through her exhaustion, which began to fade after Squirrelflight was resting in the medicine den. Her injuries were some of the worst in the Clan, and only got worse after staying up and sitting vigil when exhausted, which was why she wanted to keep an eye on her. Letting her out of the den for vigil was too risky in the first place. It was unlikely that she would go to join StarClan from her scratches, but more restless movement could open up those wounds even further and cause greater infection. She began padding back and forth. Now _she_ was the restless one. Her paws itched to leave the camp for a while.

Leafpool had gotten Brightheart to help with collecting herbs and berries and worked faster than ever, trying to distract herself from the exhaustion. By the time everything was finished, it wasn't even sunset yet, which surprised Leafpool. She couldn't remember working this much or this fast before, likely a result of being the only medicine cat in ThunderClan before. _This is my sole duty to my Clan. I must stay with it until the moment I join StarClan._

"Leafpool, you should get some rest," Brightheart meowed, nudging her. "You look asleep on your paws!" When the medicine cat hesitated, she added, "Don't worry, I can look after Squirrelflight."

"It's not that," she answered. "It's just that... Well, I don't think I'll be able to sleep very well yet. I'm going to go for a walk to the lake, if that's alright with you."

"Sure, no problem," the white-and-ginger warrior replied.

"If anything happens, come straight to find me," Leafpool told her. "But it shouldn't come to that, StarClan willing."

Brightheart nodded and padded out of the den and through the damaged wall of the thorns, which was still being repaired by the warriors fit to work.

"Collecting herbs?" Ashfur asked as she passed by.

"Just going for a walk," Leafpool replied, keeping her pace.

Ashfur hesitated for a moment and then asked, "How is Squirrelflight? Can I see her? Her scratches do look pretty nasty, after all."

Leafpool stopped and turned around to face him. "She'll be fine." _I hope._ "It might be best if you waited a day or two before seeing her, though."

The gray tom narrowed his eyes, as if he were about to protest, but he simply nodded and turned back to his work on the barrier of brambles as Leafpool left the camp.

 _Wait a second._

But turning back, she saw nothing unnatural. Dustpelt and Ashfur were dragging some more dragging some more thorns atop the barrier. _I must be imagining things_ , she thought, trying to clear her head from the exhaustion. _Or... was it a sign?_ She forced the confusing thoughts out of her mind and let her paws carry themselves towards the lake until the trees thinned out and the water stretched out in front of her.

The sun was setting, slowly drifting below the horizon, the bright orange glow shimmering across the water. Carefully she set herself down into a drift of dry leaves, letting her head rest softly on her paws. Calmly she let her gaze rest on the bright surface of the water as the sun lowered itself, bit by bit.

Suddenly she heard a rustling sound in the bushes behind her, and her ears pricked, but she did not turn around until she caught a trace of a familiar, sweet scent. "Spottedleaf!" she mewed in surprise, looking around to face her. Anger surged through her body, and she jumped onto her paws, claws unsheathed. "You... You lied to me! You told me to leave ThunderClan and go-" Her voice trailed away, muffled, as Spottedleaf swept her tail over her mouth. The tortoiseshell's gaze was unnaturally serious, even worried.

"I promise you that you could not have done anything different to change Cinderpelt's destiny," she murmured gently. "But this is not the time to talk about it. I have come to give you a warning."

"A... A warning?" Leafpool echoed. "It's not the same prophecy, is it? ' _Before there is peace, blood will spill blood'_?"

"It concerns that." Spottedleaf swallowed nervously. "The truth is... that prophecy... no longer stands as is."

Leafpool blinked. "What did you say?"

Spottedleaf sat down and sighed. "It's the truth. StarClan has failed. The prophecy will not come true, because we failed to see the future as it truly stood."

"But... but how?" stammered Leafpool. "Does this mean that... there will never be peace?"

"The most likely possibility, yes," whispered the StarClan she-cat, padding over to the water and dipping in a paw. "There have been too many prophecies, those that have come true in the past and those that have yet to show their true meaning, and their goal was to save the Clans from endless violence and destruction." Her eyes closed in sadness. "But this time... We've made a mistake. And the future of the Clans... may end."

Leafpool's ears pricked. "But... Is there still any hope?"

Spottedleaf didn't reply but instead gazed into the shimmering water, her tail drooped. Slowly, on the surface of the lake, the images of StarClan warriors began appearing, filling the sheet of clear water until there was little space left. There were so many cats here... With a pang, she saw Speckletail and Frostfur, their eyes and pelts unmarred by age. Hollykit and Larchkit were also there, without the same thinness that had lost them their lives in the forest. Sootfur stood behind them, his head held high and his amber eyes bright. He was truly a loyal warrior of ThunderClan.

"It is not about what you see, but about what you should not see..." Spottedleaf murmured beside her.

As Leafpool scanned the ranks, with a gasp she realized that Graystripe was not present. Was Spottedleaf telling her that she should not see him because he was not in StarClan? Could this mean that Graystripe was still alive and finding his way back to ThunderClan? A glimmer of hope sparked in her heart.

But that hope was put out when she could not see Cinderpelt, either. Where was her mentor? Surely she would have made it to StarClan by now? Worried, she turned to Spottedleaf, but she was gone.

Suddenly, as the sun was nearly below the horizon, it turned color from bright red to pure black, and the darkness spread across the lake and onto the shore. Suddenly the air was thick and heavy, and her vision was obscured by falling blackness wherever she looked. Terror gripped her heart, and she tried to flee back to camp, but a wall of brambles and trees obstructed her way and trapped her as she struggled to get free. Spottedleaf's voice began echoing in her head. "It is not about what you see, but about what you should not see..." The voice repeated over and over and began sounding in Leafpool's ears at the same time, with the voice growing from gentle to cackling and evil. _No! StarClan, help me!_

Suddenly her eyes flew open, and she was lying on the shore of the lake in the night, the stars shining brightly onto the surface of the clear water. _So it was just a dream after all._ Leafpool shuddered. What could this ominous dream possibly mean for the future of the Clans? Her breathing shaky, she looked up towards the sky.

Above her the stars of Silverpelt blazed down as they had always done, cold, white and unmoving; but in the lake, some patches of water were dark and empty, while the reflected stars swam sparkling across the surface until they were clustered together into two slender paths.

Leafpool gasped. The stars had become two sets of paw prints, twining together across the indigo water.

Was this another message? Was it the same sign or a different one? The images of two cats faded into the surface, blurry and indistinct. Leafpool narrowed her eyes but still couldn't tell who they were. The paw prints twined together slowly, sparkling across the dark water, until they merged until a single set. Slowly, the two figures began to fade into focus. One of them was a dark tabby, his shoulders broad, while the other one was a lighter-framed ginger she-cat. _Brambleclaw... and Squirrelflight!_

Leafpool jumped up, her heart thudding so loud she thought the whole forest was able to hear it. If Brambleclaw was already dead, did this mean that Squirrelflight had also went to join StarClan after she had left? Without waiting, she took off back towards the ThunderClan camp, her mind racing.

"It is not about what you see, but about what you should not see..."

Suddenly Leafpool tripped over a branch as her mind came to a horrible realization. Yes, she had not seen Cinderpelt in the lake, but Leafpool knew that StarClan would always accept her no matter what. There was likely some mistake for that. Yet there was one more cat that she had not seen in the water, and there was a much more easily explainable reason for that, however much she didn't want to believe it. Her fur turned to ice. The other cat missing from the water was...

Brambleclaw.


	5. Conflict

**Author's Note: I want to apologize for taking such a long time to update the story, as I've been very busy lately, what with school and all. Do try to understand that this is a relatively low priority thing for me to do.** **I've also changed the chapter titles.**

 **Additionally, kudos to anyone who can recognize where the quotes at the beginning of each chapter come from.**

 **...**

 _"I can't believe you didn't know how much you hurt me."_

 _For days on end Squirrelflight lay_ in the medicine den, occasionally wandering around in camp with nothing to do. Leafpool had wanted her not to sleep in the warriors' den either, afraid that the restlessness might have kept the wound from healing, as well as the fact that the medicine cat had wanted to keep a close eye on her for as long as possible. An unusually close eye. Every day Squirrelflight watched her Clanmates go out to patrol the borders or hunt for the Clan, but as much as she wanted to join them, her sister insisted she stay in camp until the wound was completely healed.

"Why can't I go out hunting? The wound's completely healed now!" Squirrelflight had insisted the day before.

"Not completely, it hasn't," Leafpool had replied. "If you open up those wounds again while you're away from camp, it would take a much longer time to recover."

"Are you trying to keep me in camp forever?" she had snapped. "You're not doing a favor by keeping me cooped up in camp, you know!"

Eventually she had given up arguing. Leafpool seemed unusually determined to keep her stuck in camp for a very long time, much longer than she would any other injured warrior. _Has she had some sort of sign from StarClan or something?_

Squirrelflight woke early, restless. Nearby, Leafpool stirred and rose to her paws, padding to the back of the den to check on Berrykit, who had gotten his tail stuck in a fox trap. Squirrelflight thought with a pang back to that day, when Stormfur and Brook had also left to go to RiverClan. They had come and then left so soon.

Soon Leafpool came over to tend to Squirrelflight's scratches, sniffing them carefully and checking for any remaining signs of infection. At last the medicine cat told her, "Alright, today you can go back to warrior duties."

Squirrelflight sighed with relief. Finally! Her paws itched to run through the forest and hunt. Sensing her impulsiveness to run off, however, her sister raised her tail to signal that she wasn't finished speaking. "Make sure not to go off alone, come straight back if the scratches hurt at all, and don't go looking for trouble. I want to check your injuries twice every day."

Squirrelflight sighed again, this time in exasperation. Her sister was making such a fuss. She was treating her like an apprentice! "Why are you so worried about me? Has there been a sign from StarClan about me getting in trouble?" she joked. _Again_ , she thought inwardly.

"No, it's not that, but you were whiskers away from joining StarClan yourself! I'm just trying to keep you safe," Leafpool insisted, but for a moment there was a flash of nervousness in her eyes.

 _I don't need protecting, thanks!_ Squirrelflight bit back the retort. After all, this was her sister, and she was just trying to make sure that she would recover completely from the battle. Yet she couldn't shake the feeling that there was something she wasn't telling her.

Either way, Squirrelflight was glad finally to leave the hollow. Stretching her limbs as she rose from her nest, she jumped down into the hollow, blinking at the faint light of the early sun, not yet visible above the walls of the hollow. Brackenfur was organizing the dawn patrols near the thorn tunnel. For a moment Squirrelflight wondered if she should join them, but the patrols left through the camp before she made up her mind. She shrugged. Hunting would probably be more exciting after being stuck in camp for so long.

She winced at the thought that ThunderClan still had no real deputy in the Clan. As much as she respected her father's faith in Graystripe to come back, it wasn't easy for the Clan to work without one. _Maybe Brambleclaw would've been made deputy in his place_ , she thought, but forced the thought out of her mind.

"Hey, Squirrelflight!" A familiar voice sounded from next to her, and she turned to see Ashfur bounding up. "Has Leafpool given you permission to return to warrior duties?"

Squirrelflight nodded, and the gray warrior's tail curled up in delight. "Finally!" he mewed. "Want to come hunting with me and Birchpaw?"

"All right," she answered. "Where? Maybe by the WindClan border?"

"Fine by me. Wait, let me just wake Birchpaw..." Ashfur bounded off towards the apprentices' den.

"I don't suppose you'd mind if I joined you?" A voice sounded from behind Squirrelflight.

She turned around to face Brackenfur. She hadn't noticed him come up to her after the patrols had left. "You scared me! No, of course you can come." Squirrelflight looked back over to the apprentices' den, watching Ashfur enter. "And Whitepaw?"

"Good idea; I haven't had much time to train her lately because of the kits," he responded, following Ashfur. "I'll go wake her."

Several moments later, Ashfur and Brackenfur emerged from the cave, the apprentices following. Birchpaw's jaws were gaped in a huge yawn, but Whitepaw seemed to be bursting with energy, bouncing with every step.

"Why do we have to go hunting now?" muttered Birchpaw.

Whitepaw prodded him in the side. "Wake up already, sleepyhead! You won't catch the prey while you're still sleeping!"

"The prey itself is still sleeping right now," the brown apprentice grumbled.

"Actually, the prey should be out by now," Ashfur told his apprentice, looking up at the sky, growing brighter with the light of sunrise. "It's already light, after all. We should get going." He glanced at Brackenfur. "Do you want to lead the patrol, or shall I?"

"You go on ahead," the tabby warrior answered.

Ashfur signaled with his tail, and the four cats followed. Squirrelflight's paws itched, and instinctively she raced ahead, glad to feel the wind in her fur and the roots and dirt under her paws. She knew the territory well, darting left and right to run past trees she knew were coming from fox-lengths away, even though they hadn't been settled in the territory for long.

Squirrelflight started thinking about the first time they had explored this territory, cautiously advanced through, searching for unknown dangers. Now she knew every pawstep of the territory. This was ThunderClan's territory.

"Wait up, Squirrelflight!" Ashfur called, jolting her out of her thoughts. Surprised, Squirrelflight stumbled on a root and flew forward, awkwardly landing on her side.

Ashfur and Brackenfur ran up behind her, with Whitepaw and Birchpaw following behind. "I thought I was the one leading this patrol," mewed Ashfur. "Are you alright?"

"Fine, thanks," Squirrelflight answered, standing up and shaking the leaves out of her pelt.

Ashfur padded closer to her and started sniffing her pelt. "You haven't opened up any of your injuries again, have you?" His gaze was anxious.

Squirrelflight drew away sharply. "I'm fine, honest."

Ashfur's dark blue eyes were expressionless; then he turned away suddenly and meowed, "We need to continue with the patrol." He continue ahead towards the WindClan border, not looking back to see if the other cats were following. Out of the corner of her vision, Squirrelflight saw Birchpaw and Whitepaw shoot each other a quick glance, but she ignored it and followed Ashfur.

No cat said a word until Ashfur stopped the patrol with a wave of his tail. "We should split up here, with there being so many of us."

"Birchpaw and I can hunt together," Whitepaw chimed in.

Brackenfur looked at his apprentice. "Alright," he answered after a pause. "But be cautious of any fox traps. Another injury from one of those is the last thing we need." He turned to Birchpaw. "Understand?"

The two apprentices nodded and sped off.

"Well, then." Brackenfur turned back to Ashfur and Squirrelflight. "You two can hunt together, and I'll hunt alone. I'll keep a close eye on the apprentices," he promised, running off before Squirrelflight even had a chance to respond.

"Shall we hunt?" Ashfur asked after he had vanished through the trees.

Squirrelflight nodded without saying anything. Her tongue had been tied up almost the whole morning, leaving awkward silence every few moments. Somehow she couldn't think of the right thing to say. She followed Ashfur as he bounded through the trees.

"Mouse," Ashfur whispered, stopping her with a flick of his tail. The small creature was emerging from a pile of leaves under a tree. Spotting a beech nut, it scampered out, ears pricked.

Squirrelflight silently crouched down and stalked forward. The mouse was too absorbed in the nut to look around. Careful not to crush any debris beneath her paws, she wove carefully through the undergrowth until she was just a pounce away.

The mouse pricked its ears, looking around, but before it could spot her, Squirrelflight leaped and killed it with a swift bite.

"Nice!" Ashfur complimented her, padding up.

Squirrelflight flicked her ears. It was an easy catch, and there would be much more prey out and about. She dropped it near the roots of the tree and buried the prey, using the pile of leaves as extra cover.

A rustle sounded from the leaves above her. _More prey?_ Hadn't it heard the cats below them?

Ashfur caught her eye and nodded, signaling with his tail for her to stay put. Silently the gray tom stalked through the undergrowth, keeping an eye on the tree where the prey was.

A thrush popped its head up through the the leaves, looking around. Squirrelflight was crouched behind a bush, keeping a close eye on it. Fortunately, it didn't seem to notice her.

Then the sound of a leaf crackling pierced the silence. _Ashfur!_

The thrush let out a call and took off from the branch. Thinking quickly, Squirrelflight darted forward and leaped into the air to catch it over the stream, but a paw flashed out and grabbed it first.

"Thanks for the prey," Nightcloud sneered, holding her catch triumphantly in the air.

Squirrelflight bristled. "That's ThunderClan prey, you know!"

"So what?" Nightcloud shrugged. "The stream isn't your territory. So it wasn't your prey anymore."

"It wasn't in your territory yet, either!" Squirrelflight bristled her fur, snarling. Crouching down, she prepared to leap across the stream, but Ashfur pushed her aside, swiping his tail over her mouth.

"Don't get any ideas," he murmured in her ear, sensing Squirrelflight's anger.

 _That's our prey!_ she thought. _Are you just going to let that mangy furball take it from us?_

Just then Webfoot padded out from behind a tree. "What's going on?"

Nightcloud turned around, spotting her Clanmate. "Nothing much. They just think they deserve some of the prey I caught."

 _It isn't like that!_ Squirrelflight wanted to say the words aloud, but Ashfur was still blocking her mouth.

Webfoot glanced at the ThunderClan warriors and then back to Nightcloud. "Well, as long as there's no trouble."

Squirrelflight batted Ashfur's tail away. "Oh, she's causing plenty of trouble," she growled. "That was our prey, and she took it right from our territory!"

Webfoot gave Nightcloud a dubious look. "Did you cross the stream?"

"Of course not!' the black she-cat snapped. "What do you take me for, a thief?"

"She didn't cross the stream," Ashfur added. "The prey was over the stream when she caught it."

"In that case," Webfoot replied, "she's done nothing wrong. Come on, let's go back," he told Nightcloud.

"We've caught enough prey."

Squirrelflight crouched down, preparing to leave over the stream and wrestle the prey back. With Ashfur's help, she could easily beat them. But as her paws pushed off the ground, Ashfur yanked her back by the tail. Pain shot through her, and her paws skidded on the edge of the stream as she struggled to regain her balance.

"What are you _doing_?!" she hissed to Ashfur. "Are you siding with WindClan now?"

The gray tom blinked. "We have plenty of prey. I didn't want you to get hurt trying to get back just a thrush."

"I thought you were a loyal warrior!" Squirrelflight's voice was heated with anger. "But now instead you let them take a piece of our prey and walk away!"

Ashfur's blue eyes blazed. "How dare you question my loyalty to ThunderClan!"

"I have good reason to!" Squirrelflight shot back. "Any other loyal warrior would have helped to take the prey back from those two fox-hearted thieves! Are you a ThunderClan cat or not?"

Ashfur lashed his tail. "Well, at least I've always _been_ with ThunderClan! Unlike a few mangy deserters I can name."

Squirrelflight didn't want to hear anything more Ashfur. Unsheathing her claws, she prepared to swipe him on the muzzle, but then a rustle sounded from the bushes nearby, and Brackenfur padded out.

"Is everything all right?" His eyes were worried. "I thought I heard shouting..."

Squirrelflight took a deep breath and smoothed down her fur. "Everything's fine," she muttered.

Brackenfur glanced back and forth between the two warriors, who were pointedly staring away from each other. "Well, if you're sure..." His voice was uncertain.

Suddenly a noise sounded in the distance. Squirrelflight's ears pricked. What was that?

Then she heard another noise. "Do you hear that?" she asked Brackenfur.

Brackenfur and Ashfur both pricked their ears. Squirrelflight kept listening. What did it sound like? It sounded like... a yowl, maybe? _Wait, but that means..._

"Fighting!" she gasped.

"The apprentices!" exclaimed Ashfur.

Squirrelflight raced through the trees, darting through the undergrowth, until the yowls got louder. _Whitepaw and Birchpaw!_ As she got closer, a red shape flashed in front of her. _Fox!_

Snarling, she leaped onto the fox, and Ashfur and Brackenfur followed by clawing its sides. "Get away!" she ordered the two apprentices, who were bleeding heavily from several wounds. "We can deal with it now!"

The fox didn't even attack the three warriors before haring off into the trees, blood streaking its pelt.

Ashfur chased after it while Squirrelflight and Brackenfur rushed over to the apprentices. "How badly are you hurt?" Brackenfur asked.

"I only have a few scratches," Whitepaw told her mentor, "but Birchpaw's in worse shape."

"There's a lot of blood on your pelt," Squirrelflight responded quietly as Brackenfur went over to check on Birchpaw. "Are you sure you're alright?"

Whitepaw glanced down at her white pelt, stained with red. "I think most of this is the fox's, actually. I'm fine, really." She glanced over at Brackenfur, who was trying to get Birchpaw up onto his paws.

Squirrelflight was about to come over to help Birchpaw when she heard a snapping sound. Whitepaw and Brackenfur pricked their ears. They must have heard it, too. It didn't sound like a twig. It sounded distant, and a twig snapping wouldn't be that loud from that far away.

Whitepaw's green eyes widened. "That's a fox trap," she breathed. But Brackenfur was already running in the direction that Ashfur chased the fox. Squirrelflight hesitated for a moment but followed.

"Ashfur?" Brackenfur called. "Ashfur, are you okay?"

"I'm fine," the gray tom responded.

As Ashfur came into view, Squirrelflight skidded to a halt. The fox was caught in the fox trap, its neck snapped and body limp.

Brackenfur shuddered. "Imagine you getting caught in that fox trap instead."

"What do we do with the fox now?" Squirrelflight asked.

"We'll deal with that later," Brackenfur replied. "Right now, we need to get the apprentices back to camp, and another patrol can deal with this later." Quickly he ran back in the direction they came.

Squirrelflight was about to follow, but when she turned around she saw Ashfur still staring over the body of the fox. "Are you coming or not?"

The gray warrior didn't respond.

"Ashfur!" she snapped. "If you're not going to come, we're leaving you behind."

"I'm coming," he answered, his voice calm. His eyes were thoughtful, as if he were intrigued by something, as opposed to the blazing fire in them earlier. Squirrelflight couldn't help noticing that as they silently followed Brackenfur, he kept glancing back at the fox trap. What was the gray warrior thinking about?


End file.
